ACPA has been clear in its view of how Canada Port Authorities (CPAs) can help our country grow, messaging the value of ports through Federal pre-budget consultations. Canadian ports are calling for renewed federal infrastructure funding. Together we can adapt to climate change, increase trade capacity, and ease impacts on communities.

August 2024

The Association of Canadian Port Authorities (ACPA) — the voice of the country’s 17 Canada Port Authorities (CPAs) is pleased to present its recommendations for the 2025 federal budget to the members of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance.

• Modernize CPA financing and operating frameworks to provide greater financial flexibility, specifically:
  Increase borrowing limits and address approval times.
• Eliminate barriers to business activities CPAs can pursue
• Enable capitalization of subsidiaries and joint ventures
• Renewed funding of the National Trade Corridors Fund (NTCF), or at least more focused funding for the ports that are unable to leverage capital to borrow or capitalize subsidiaries/joint ventures.
• Adjust criteria for CPA access to Canada Infrastructure Bank Funds.
  Assist ports in achieving sustainability, climate resilience and decarbonization goals through port eligibility for existing programs and new funds to support port sustainability and decarbonization.
• Ensure Canada Border Services Agency funding is dedicated and increased in a predictable and sufficient manner to support port and supply chain services and trade facilitation.
• Dedicated ongoing funding of police of jurisdiction, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) to support their delegated responsibilities as it relates to port security, and improved information sharing between these and other actors and CPAs.
• Permanently fund the National Supply Chain Office (NSCO) sufficiently to support its important mandate.

August 2023

To fully support Canada Port Authorities in their mission of safety, security, trade enablement and business continuity, the Association of Canadian Port Authorities urges the government to:

• Modernize the sector’s financing and operating framework to provide greater financial flexibility for ports to invest into infrastructure and deliver on their missions in the decades ahead. These fundamental enhancements would fully empower ports to deliver on their core mandates and undertake important sustainable trade and energy transition-facilitating infrastructure projects.
• Immediately establish permanent, predictable and appropriately funded programs for port and supply chain infrastructure that will maintain current assets and build new ones.
• Accelerate project approvals to build infrastructure projects in a timely manner.
• Augment CBSA support for cruise ship passenger processing.

February 2022

ACPA sent the following letter to Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland to inform her budget deliberations. ACPA provided tangible recommendations in building Canada’s supply chain resilience, decarbonization and trade facilitation for Canada, specifically:

• Develop dedicated financial support to scale green shipping corridors at Canadian ports.
• Revive the Shore Power funding program offered by Transport Canada.
• Develop Dedicated Funding for Port Infrastructure Focused on Decarbonization and the Energy Transition.
• Continue Focused National Trade Corridor Funding to support supply chain resilience.

February 2021

The ACPA Submission to the Department of Finance Prebudget Consultations (February 2021) focuses on how ports can contribute to a sustainable, inclusive and innovative COVID-19 recovery through enhanced National Trade Corridors Fund (NTCF) infrastructure support and program amendments, increases in borrowing limits for CPAs, and support for CPA green infrastructure and technology.

August 2020

The ACPA Prebudget Submission to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance (August 2020) identified ways that the government could support the leadership and resilience of ports to assist in Canada’s economic recovery. In its submission, ACPA urged the government to enhance the NTCF and amend program details, to increase borrowing limits for port infrastructure projects and empower ports to engage in trade-facilitation activities, and, to waive the gross revenue charge levied on Canada’s ports to preserve liquidity for investment in economic recovery.